Sovereign Grace Europe Pastors Retreat
VIDEO TRANSCRIIPT
Ben Kreps:
Hey everyone, and welcome to the Mark Prater podcast, where our aim is to connect our global family of Sovereign Grace churches with our executive director. Mark, anybody watching the video can tell that neither of us are at our homes or offices. If you're watching the video, I may or may not be in witness protection right now, shrouded in darkness. But you are definitely not at home, and you are not even in the states. Where are you?
Mark Prater:
I'm in Warsaw, Poland, attending the first extended Sovereign Grace Churches, Europe Pastors Retreat. And it's been a wonderful week so far. We started on Tuesday and we end tomorrow. Dave Taylor is here, our Director of Global Missions, who's helping to lead this. And the primary guy leading it is Ed O'Mara, who has really just began to take some leadership in Europe. Ed represents one of six countries, European nations that are at this retreat. So, Ed and Giuseppe, from Italy; we have a number of brothers from Belarus, from at least three different cities in Belarus. We have brothers from England obviously, and then we also have brothers from the Czech Republic and Turkey. So it's just been wonderful to see. And Poland of course, I forgot to mention brothers from Poland because we're in Warsaw. It's just been really a wonderful week.
The purpose of the retreat is really just to begin to build those churches together in a wonderful partnership that we all share in Sovereign Grace, and they desire to have a partnership built based on relationship. And so there's just been a lot of time for guys to spend time getting to know one another and praying for one another. We had a moment yesterday where one of the pastors from Belarus was just sharing an update that was a difficult one because of some opposition he's facing. And I don't think there was a dry eye in the room. We were all in tears and just took time and gathered around him and prayed for him.
So it's just moments like that that build us together relationally; and sharing meals together, giving updates, praying for one another, so that is happening. It's been wonderful to establish partnership theologically. Dave and I have done some teaching which has been been wonderful. And I just couldn't be more pleased with how these brothers are beginning to just say, we're going to do gospel ministry together here in Europe. And it's just exciting to watch. I can't believe I get be a part of it. And there's a number of stories I could tell from this week, but maybe I'll save some of those for a later podcast.
Ben Kreps:
Sounds like a wonderful time. It is so encouraging to hear about this first European gathering, this retreat. I know we've been doing things in Europe for a while, but not like this; how it's broadening and expanding to include a number of other countries is very encouraging to hear. As you interact with this group of men, what are your impressions? What has stuck out to you?
Mark Prater:
Well, I think one of the things that stuck out to me is that these are gospel men. They understand gospel centrality, and they want to be on gospel mission. Being on gospel mission in Europe is not an easy thing because I think in every country that gave updates, probably less than 1% of the population are Christians. And probably less than half a percent in many countries are actually born again committed believers. So these are men who are truly light in darkness and are not being held back. They're not deterred in advancing the gospel and declaring the gospel, but it's not easy in a post-Christian culture. So that's just one of the things which I think makes partnership even more meaningful because there's not as many Christians around you. There's not many gospel centered, gospel preaching pastors. And so the guys in the room, we're all we have so we've gotta depend upon one another. That's been wonderful to watch.
And I was also struck by some of the opposition that they're facing. One story is from a brother in Belarus, where he's just facing real opposition because of changes even made recently by the Belarusian government that just makes it much harder to do gospel ministry in that nation. And yet these guys are saying, we're not leaving. We are staying here with our people and we're gonna preach the gospel. It's actually very inspiring and very faith building and very humbling, and I think it's men like that, that are going to continue to shape and change Sovereign Grace for the better. And just understanding what it means to do ministry not only in a post-Christian culture, but a post-Christian culture where there's real opposition that pastors face. So that's been wonderful in many ways.
And then just to hear about churches that are interested in becoming candidate churches or church plants that we have planned. One of those is the Czech Republic. Vince Corpus, who's an American, who'd been in the Czech Republic, came back, was in the church in El Paso, and then was released just to come back to Czech Republic. He's been back for a little over a year. His family seems to be doing well, and he's beginning to gather a small group where they would like to plant a church hopefully in the next year in Prague, Czech Republic, and then also in Poland, right here in Warsaw. There's a couple of guys that are here are beginning to gather a small group. I actually met some of their small group members this week. A group of about 12 to 15 people that are forming a base from which I believe, the first Sovereign Grace Church in Warsaw, Poland, will be planted sometime in the next year or two. So that's been very, very exciting as well.
So I could just spend time giving a lot more updates and stories, but it's a reminder of a number of things for me. Just big picture. Our God is a God who saves people from every tongue and tribe and nation. And the power of the gospel is not stopped by ethnicity or national boundaries at all. It reaches all people.
I think the other thing that I'm reminded of is that our little, small, and we are small, denomination is getting these opportunities to partner with like-minded brothers. And these guys, they are Sovereign Grace guys. They laugh a lot. They get grace. They love the gospel, they want to build gospel-centered churches, just like it seems like we've known each other a long time even though you've just met them. And yet we have the opportunity in this little small denomination that started in the States. So to partner with men like that throughout the world that are like-minded theologically and like-minded in terms of the kind of churches they wanna build, that's something we can't take credit for, Ben. It is a work of God and therefore may he receive all the glory.
Ben Kreps:
Amen. That is an excellent update. I've had the honor of getting to know some of these guys that are looking to join Sovereign Grace in Europe. And, these are choice brothers. These are wonderful pastors. These are courageous men. And what an honor it is for us to be able to explore official partnership with them in Sovereign Grace churches. So, thank you and Dave and Ed.
Mark Prater:
And Let me say one other thing before we go because I want to mention this because Matt Chapman was in your Pastors College class. So, Matt Chapman and Peter Bowley are here from Bristol, England. And so I extended my trip so that I could go back home through England. I'll be in Bristol over the weekend and preaching at Matt Chapman's church just to encourage that church. So a shout out to another Ben Kreps fellow PC student <laugh>.
Ben Kreps:
That's right. And me and Matt Chapman survived an earthquake together. Yeah. That's a story from another time.
Mark Prater:
I didn't know that. Where was the earthquake?
Ben Kreps:
<laugh> It was just an earthquake in the DC area in 2011. So yes, we survived together, and there's just a bond there that can't be broken. But no, it is a joy to hear about these updates. And so thank you and all the guys that are involved with serving the men gathered there and the teaching and all of that, it's wonderful to hear. So thanks for the update, Mark. I'm looking forward to hearing on the other end all about what God's doing. Thank you all for watching or reading. We'll see you here, Lord willing, next week. Bye for now.